'Cats reach a dead end

Renegades take title; Tri-City season over

Published 12:32 am, Friday, September 14, 2012

The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Players pile on after the third out in the ninth inning to celebrate.

The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Players pile on after the third out in the ninth inning to celebrate.

Photo: David W Doonan

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The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Valley Cat second baseman Austin Evans (#5), slides into second in an attempt to break up the double play. less

The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Valley Cat second baseman Austin Evans (#5), slides into second in an attempt to break up the ... more

Photo: David W Doonan

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The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Valley Cats center filederEmilio King *(#35) pulls in a fly ball.

The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Valley Cats center filederEmilio King *(#35) pulls in a fly ball.

Photo: David W Doonan

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The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Valley Cat shortstop Joe Sclafani (#4) fields a grounder.

The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Valley Cat shortstop Joe Sclafani (#4) fields a grounder.

Photo: David W Doonan

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The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Valley Cat shortstop Joe Sclafani (#4) fields a grounder.

The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. Valley Cat shortstop Joe Sclafani (#4) fields a grounder.

Photo: David W Doonan

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The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. First baseman Jesse Wierzbicki (#28) keeps a Renagades runner close.

The Hudson Valley Reganades defeated the Tri City ValleyCats 8-3 to take the New York- Penn League Championship. First baseman Jesse Wierzbicki (#28) keeps a Renagades runner close.

Photo: David W Doonan

'Cats reach a dead end

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FISHKILL — Austin Elkins and his Tri-City ValleyCats teammates had to cut across the field to get back to their clubhouse in the right-field corner after their season ended bitterly on Thursday night.

On their way, the players walked past the Hudson Valley Renegades, who piled on each other as they celebrated their New York-Penn League championship.

"You have to respect them winning a championship, so you don't want to get in their way or anything," Elkins said. "It is tough looking at it and knowing that could be you in the dogpile if a couple of things had gone our way. But it didn't."

Tri City fell behind 4-0 in the first inning and never caught up in an 8-3 loss to the Renegades in the deciding Game 3 of the finals before 3,660 fans at Dutchess County Stadium.

Hudson Valley won the series 2-1 to earn their second title and first since 1999.

Meanwhile, the ValleyCats were denied their second championship in three years. They won the first game at Bruno Stadium, but dropped the final two in Fishkill.

Starter Joe Bircher, working on seven days' rest, lasted only one-third of an inning and allowed four runs on two hits and a pair of walks.

He also made a costly throwing error to second on a comebacker that could have been a double play.

"Bottom line, I just didn't go out there and get it done," Bircher said. "It was one of those nights, and it just stinks that it's the end of year."

The ValleyCats scratched across single runs in the second and third as Tyler Heineman scored on a wild pitch and Jesse Wierzbicki hit an RBI ground-rule double to right.

However, Tri-City stranded runners on second and third to end both innings.

"We beat ourselves again," Clapp said. "That's kind of been the story. When we got beat this year, that's usually how we got beat."

Six Hudson Valley relievers held the ValleyCats mostly silent for the rest of the game, except for a Joe Sclafani RBI single in the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, the Renegades tacked on a pair of runs in both the sixth inning and eighth inning off Tri-City's bullpen.

Tri-City had the best regular-season record (51-25) in its 11-year franchise history but couldn't catch the Renegades, who had home field in Game 3 after finishing one game ahead of the ValleyCats.

"It's a little bit fresh, a little tough to deal with right now," Bircher said. "Looking back, it's going to be a great experience and hopefully everybody on this team can use that as a steppingstone toward bigger and better things."

The team will break up for good on Friday. Bircher is driving home to Omaha, Neb. for the off-season.

"It's going to be nice to go home and see some family, but I wish I got a ring tonight," he said.

Elkins, a second baseman, and teammates Preston Tucker and Heineman will continue their seasons on the Houston Astros' instructional league team in Kissimmee, Fla. starting on Sept. 19.

"It means a lot to me as a player," Elkins said. "Obviously, at this time of the year you're kind of wanting those days off, but to be invited, it's definitely a privilege."

Clapp leaves not certain if he'll return for a third season with the ValleyCats. He could be sent somewhere else in Houston's system.

"My contract's up on the 31st (of December)," Clapp said. "That's when I'll worry about it. I'm going home (to Tennessee) to see my kids."